Archford Gutu

Archford Gutu (born August 5, 1993) is a Zimbabwean International footballer who plays as a midfielder. Gutu is one of the few players to have played for both Dynamos FC and Caps United in Zimbabwe, and he has won the Championships with both teams. Gutu has won the Championship with Dynamos FC in 2011 and moved overseas the following year to join Kalmar FF in 2012. On his return from Europe he joined Caps United in 2016 and won the Championship for the second time in his career. Archford Gutu has played most of his senior football career in Sweden where he has played for Kalmar FF and IFK Varnamo. He has played for Zimbabwe National Teams at all levels. Gutu is currently the director of Archford Gutu Football Academy in Zimbabwe.

Archford Gutu
Personal information
Full name Archford Gutu
Date of birth (1993-08-05) August 5, 1993
Place of birth Harare, Zimbabwe
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Sprouting Academy
2007–2008 Caps FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009 Shooting Stars
2009–2010 Ajax Cape Town 0 (0)
2010–2011 Dynamos Harare 21 (8)
2012–2015 Kalmar FF 27 (1)
2014–2015 → IFK Värnamo (loan) 37 (2)
2016–2017 CAPS United 13 (1)
2017–2018 IFK Värnamo 17 (0)
2019– Dynamos 15 (1)
International career‡
Zimbabwe U17 10 (7)
Zimbabwe U20 9 (4)
Zimbabwe U23 7 (2)
2009–2013 Zimbabwe 23 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 November 2020

Club career

Early career

Gutu joined South Africa's Ajax Cape Town in 2009 on a three-year deal, but failed to make a single appearance in the Premier Soccer League due to registration rules, as he was still a minor then. On 14 September 2010, he agreed to terminate his contract with Ajax and he returned to Zimbabwe to join the country’s biggest club Dynamos fc and revived his football career .[1]

Dynamos Harare

On 25 September 2010, Gutu signed a two-year deal with Dynamos Harare.[2] He made his first appearance for Dynamos on 4 November, coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Monomotapa United.[3] Gutu scored his 1st Dynamos goal in 2010 Derby match against rivals Caps United in a BancABC super8 Cup Final win and he was the man of the match. On 28 February 2011, he scored two goals in Dynamos' 3–2 victory over CAPS United in the Bob 87 Super Cup Final. Dynamos went on to win double, the 2011 League title and the inaugural Mbada Diamonds Cup. During his stay at Dynamos FC, Gutu was one of the club’s top players before signing for Kalmar FF in Sweden.

Kalmar FF

On 20 September 2011, Swedish club Kalmar FF confirmed that they had reached a deal with Dynamos Harare regarding Gutu, as of 1 January 2012 he would go on a six-month loan to Kalmar, together with Pape Diouf from Dakar UC, Senegal.[4] On 14 March 2012, Kalmar FF announced that they had decided to purchase both Gutu and Diouf before Allsvenskan had started, on a four-year deal[5] Archford Gutu is the first Zimbabwean professional footballer to play in Sweden.

International career

He was capped by Zimbabwe at the under-17, under-20 under-23 levels and the Zimbabwe senior National team.[6] Gutu has won the Cosafa Cups with the Zimbabwe under 17s,Under 20s and with the Zimbabwe senior team . He was part of team which won COSAFA Under 20 in South Africa 2007, and he was the Captain of Zimbabwe Under 17 which won the COSAFA Cup in Namibia in 2007. After winning the Under 20 COSAFA Cup in South Africa 2007 ,Gutu flew to Namibia to join and captain the Zimbabwe Under 17 team which won the COSAFA Cup in 2007. Gutu is also a COSAFA Cup winner with the Zimbabwe Senior National team as hosts in 2009. In 2011 Gutu was part of the Zimbabwe CHAN team in Sudan , he scored in the second game of group stages to help Zimbabwe beat Ghana by one goal to nil . Archford Gutu is currently the youngest Zimbabwe National Team player to ever make their debut at the age of 16 years 175 days old. In 2007 Gutu was among the Young Sportsmen of the year nominees.

International goals
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
19 September 2012Harare Angola3–1Win2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References
  1. "Homesick Gutu back in Zimbabwe". Kickoff.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  2. "Dynamos Bring in Fresh Talent". Thezimbabwean.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  3. "De Mbare Rumble On: Dynamos 1 – 0 Monomotapa". Fcdynamos.com. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  4. "Afrikansk landslagsduo till Kalmar FF" (in Swedish). kalmarff.se. 20 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  5. "Archford och Papa stannar" (in Swedish). kalmarff.se. 14 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  6. "Kalmar byter Brasilien mot Zimbabwe". fotbollskanalen.se (in Swedish). 25 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
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